2005-06-08

PG Tips

drink it well chilled

goes nicely with various pasta dishes

very good party wine, as it is medium in all respects, hence has wide appeal

perfect for summer evenings

We have evolved a mildly complicated system for eating pasta here. In the past some of us have had strong prejudices against certain pasta sauces and in favour of certain others. Owing to stubbornness, or habit, and despite losing those prejudices, we continue to have our pasta in at least four different finishes whenever we do eat pasta. Whilst not entirely convenient, it does allow me to report that Prima Gusto pinot grigio / trebbiano 02004(synthetic closure) goes fairly well with a blue cheese and sweet pepper sauce, rather better with a basic olive oil, black pepper and parmesan, better again with a tomato and green olive (but mainly tomato, the olives are a token presence) sauce, and is only passable against strong cheddar / white sauce. All sauces were served over penne (thank goodness we don't have any more than four hobs on the cooker).

The Prima Gusto is a light to medium bodied dry white wine, with a lime-y, citrussy nose,and wet-pebbles, minerally palate, from the north east of Italy, and is mainly made from pinot grigio, which is called pinot gris in France, grauburgunder or ruländer in Germany, malvoisie in Switzerland (also in parts of France, although that hardly counts since the French also use malvoisie as a synonym for maccabéo, bourboulenc, clairette, torbato, and vermentino), pinot beurot in Burgundy, szürkebarát in Hungary, and cabernet sauvignon in Scotland. The EU has finally stamped out the Alsatian practise of calling it Tokay Pinot Gris, which was itself a retreat from Tokay d'Alsace. Not that anybody was ever likely to confuse Alsatian pinot gris (not even vendange tardive) with the Tokaj of Hungary, but thus do we erase history, the better to remistake things.

Aaaanyway, to get back to the wine, it was a good match for the food, but really it went best with the beautiful summer evening. In fact I think it got an extra point because of it. Prima Gusto: 14-15/20.